Department of Health and Social Care

Influenza: Vaccination

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) teachers and (b) other key workers can receive a flu vaccination in winter 2020.

Jo Churchill: The flu vaccination is recommended for those in at risk groups, and frontline health and social care workers who have direct contact with patients, so they can protect themselves and the vulnerable people that they care for. This is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).The Department has procured additional doses of seasonal flu vaccine to ensure more flu vaccines are available for eligible groups. Guidance for general practitioners, community pharmacists and trusts on accessing this stock has been published and those who have exhausted their own supply are now able to order from this central stock.Teachers and other key workers, aside from frontline health and care staff, who are not in an at-risk group are not eligible for a free flu vaccination. However, they may have access to the flu vaccine under their employers’ occupational health scheme.

Malnutrition: Health Services

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has in place to ensure people with or at risk of malnutrition who require support from relevant services are not disproportionately affected by the second wave of covid-19.

Jo Churchill: The new COVID Winter Grant Scheme provides an additional £170 million for local authorities in England, to support families with children and other vulnerable people with the cost of food and essential utilities this winter.

Cancer

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data has been published from version 8 of the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset (COSD); and whether that includes data on the number of people diagnosed with secondary breast cancer.

Jo Churchill: Version 8 of the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset (COSD) applies to cancer data submitted to Public Health England (PHE) from April 2018. Data from this period is included in National and Official Statistics, such as the case-mix adjusted percentage cancers diagnosed at stages 1 and 2 by the Clinical Commissioning Group in England (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/case-mix-adjusted-percentage-cancers-diagnosed-at-stages-1-and-2-by-ccg-in-england). In addition, monthly COSD data reports are available to the NHS via a secure reporting website. PHE published data on secondary breast cancer from v8 of the COSD in November 2020. This information is available here:http://www.ncin.org.uk/cancer_type_and_topic_specific_work/topic_specific_work/recurrence

Congenital Abnormalities: Coronavirus

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the risk that covid-19 poses to people with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

Jo Churchill: People with spina bifida and hydrocephalus are not automatically identified as clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable.GPs and hospital clinicians have the discretion to add individual patients to the shielded patient list based on careful, clinical assessments of each individual’s needs. This will require expert clinical judgement on a patient-by-patient basis. If anyone is unsure if they should be following the guidnece for the clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable. we would encourage them to discuss this with their GP or hospital specialist.

Dental Services

James Wild: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the proportion of time that dentists allocate to NHS patients.

James Wild: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made in renegotiating the (a) General Dental Services and (b) Personal Dental Services contract.

Jo Churchill: Dentists contract with the NHS to provide an agreed level of dental activity per year. Where a dentist holds a contract with the NHS they must deliver the agreed activity or, if performance is below 96%, the NHS can recover the unused funds. Dentists therefore have a strong financial incentive to deliver the contracted service. Many dentists provide both NHS and private care but there are usually no shortage of applicants if NHS England and Improvement (NHSE/I) lets a dental contract.The amount of dental service is it safe to deliver during COVID-19 has reduced significantly. Dentistry includes a number of aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) which require the highest level of infection protection control including resting the treatment room for up to an hour between patients. We are working hard to try and restore the service.

Food: Advertising

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the compliance of the proposed restrictions to communication and marketing activities of foods high in fat, sugar and salt on brands’ and companies’ own websites and social media channels with intellectual property laws.

Jo Churchill: We published an evidence note alongside the consultation on the proposal to introduce a total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar. The note references non-monetised benefits as result of reformulation of products. This is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/total-restriction-of-online-advertising-for-products-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt-hfss/evidence-note This builds on the impact assessment that accompanied the 2019 consultation on further advertising restrictions on TV and online. This is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786554/advertising-consultation-impact-assessment.pdf As with all Government policies, legal advice is provided by the Government Legal Department to inform Ministerial policy decisions.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the aims of the Cheque for Tech Diabetes funding campaign.

Jo Churchill: The £559 million technology funding for NHSX announced in the Spending Review is not disease specific but covers the infrastructure and whole pathways work for all major diseases, including diabetes. This investment will support the National Health Service frontline, help fast track innovation and deliver a better experience for patients and staff alike.In addition to this work and as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement committed to both improving the pipeline of innovation and speeding up the uptake and spread, so that proven and affordable innovations get to patients faster. It sets out a number of specific commitments in relation to the treatment of people living with diabetes and supporting the adoption of new technologies.

Obesity: Training

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on their strategy to reduce the prevalence of obesity and the potential opportunities for mutual learning; and if he will make a statement.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to work collaboratively with the administrations in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland to reduce the prevalence of obesity.

Jo Churchill: Ministers and officials in the Department have regular discussions with their counterparts in the devolved administrations on improving the health and wellbeing of the nation, including on reducing obesity. Discussions include domestic strategies and the delivery of United Kingdom-wide measures in our obesity strategy, such as front of pack nutrition labelling on food and drink.